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Overview

Never Love a Stranger by Harold Robbins

Harold Robbins' very first novel is also one of his most powerful. Never Love a Stranger tells the gritty and passionate tale of Francis "Frankie" Kane, from his meager beginnings as an orphan in New York's Hell's Kitchen. From that confused and belittling start, Frank works his way up, choosing the wrong side of the law to make a name for himself. At a young age, he becomes one of the city's most dangerous men, indulging in his passion for power, sex, and the best things in life-whether or not they can be purchased.

First published in 1948, the novel began Robbins' prolific career after someone made him a $100 bet that he couldn't write a bestseller. Twenty-six pot-boiling novels later, he proved the power of his words. Never Love a Stranger takes an unflinching look at a New York that's long gone by-exposing life during and after the Great Depression, when the syndicate ruled the city without mercy.

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About the Author

Harold Robbins (1916–1997) is one of the bestselling American fiction writers of all time, ranking 5th on the World’s Bestselling Fiction Author List just behind William Shakespeare and Agatha Christie. He wrote over 25 bestselling novels, sold more than 750 million copies in 42 languages and spent over 300 weeks combined on The New York Times bestsellers list. His books were adapted into 13 commercially successful films and also television series that garnered numerous Oscar®, Golden Globe®, and Primetime Emmy® nominations starring Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Laurence Olivier, Bette Davis, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and more.

The self-proclaimed “world’s best writer in plain English,” Robbins wrote novels that resonated with audiences due to their graphic depictions of sex, violence, power, and drugs, and the multilayered complexities of his characters, as evidenced by his bestselling novels Never Love a Stranger, The Carpetbaggers, Where Love Has Gone, and The Adventurers. He once said in an interview: “People make their own choices every day about what they are willing to do. We don’t have the right to judge them or label them. At least walk in their shoes before you do.”

Robbins’ personal life was as fascinating to the public as his novels. An enthusiastic participant in the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s, Robbins cultivated a “playboy” image and maintained friendships with stars including Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dino De Laurentiis, Robert Evans, Ringo Starr, Barbara Eden, Lena Horne, and Quincy Jones, and was one of the first novelists to be prominently featured in gossip magazines, earning him the title of “The World’s First Rock Star Author.”

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

I listened to this story on a very long road trip across the east coast and it kept my attention. The description of this story was not what I was expected from listening to the book. This story had a little coming of age feel to it. It starts off with Frank's life as young boy and it was interesting for a while but then the story started to drag on. There were many slow parts that didn't add any depth, it was just random parts in Frank's life that could have been omitted and people would have still got the picture. I did not like that the entire story was centered around Frank. There were many characters that went in and out of his life, no one really lasts, there needed to be some that stayed to help him be himself.
Frank, himself, was a little confusing. He wasn't a strong character for being the center of attention. His choices weren't constant, his thoughts were more regulated but his actions and convictions weren't consistent. Sometimes I thought I knew him and other times I wondered who this person was, lack of consistency was horrible. He had this draw on people, with everyone he met… but what exactly did these people see in him because I didn't see it. What was so great? What did he do? He didn't really do anything significant for people to immediately take to him. It was odd.